Well, the final chapter was written and closed with the punctuation of a light and crisp squeeze of a 2.5lbs trigger. A buck that I’ve come to know very well over the last few years slipped up this weekend and a very close friend I used to work with took advantage of it.
While I know some think it’s silly and even drives them to insult those that do this, we named this deer “OAF.” We caught him on camera a couple of years ago as a funky looking young buck that wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Then, he disappeared. Well, I say he disappeared but like I said, he wasn’t really on anyone’s radar so we really quit looking for him…until this year. He first showed back up this past August and after some information exchanges between me and my friend, we realize who he was and while his antlers weren’t any better, we knew we were looking at an old man, a monarch of the woods, if you will. Through various trail cam pictures and with two VERY brief encounters in the woods before the season, we determined this deer to be 5.5 years old. Even in August, we guessed him to be just under 200lbs (maybe 190-195). He continued to be a regular on our cameras and we knew, if we were ever going to get a shot at killing him, this year had to be the year…which turned out to be a little more involved than we first thought.
Like I said, he was a regular on some of our cameras. We knew where he was bedding and where his core area was but like clockwork, he became scarce as soon as the season started. You know what they say, they don’t get old by being stupid. All of that changed Saturday afternoon. I didn’t hunt because I was spending time with my wife and her family. It was the one year anniversary of my mother-in-law passing away so I had more important things to tend to than hunting. Well, I got a call just before 1800 Saturday evening from my friend. I say “hello” and he says, “I think I just killed OAF.” My heart started pounding as though I was the one who killed him. It was a great feeling and when the pictures started coming in,
I doubt that deer is 5.5, highly doubt it, need to pull the jaw bone to verify but I don’t think hes a minute under 6.5, the body characteristics are telling me hes past that 5.5 mark, big sway in his back and his shoulders are very pointed.
I doubt that deer is 5.5, highly doubt it, need to pull the jaw bone to verify but I don’t think hes a minute under 6.5, the body characteristics are telling me hes past that 5.5 mark, big sway in his back and his shoulders are very pointed.
I wasn’t there when he killed him so I didn’t get to see his teeth. We bounced back and forth between 5.5 and 6.5 but either way, 5.5 or 6.5, he’s a stud.
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
Great story he’s a stud for sure! Your camera took really good pics. Is it a browning {see in bottom left on one pic)what model. I have couple of primos black-outs that I am not happy with the battery life and they both make a slight “click” when taking pics. Stopped using them due to it. I got a new browning camera for birthday (april) it is 100% silent and the battery life is amazing. Any thoughts???
Nice and a great story to go with it .Did he hit him with the first shot and was he using a bolt action?
Yep. double-lunged him with the first shot (discovered upon recovery). Yes, it was a bolt action. I believe he was using a suppressed Ruger American.
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
I picked up a Ruger American Ranch in 300BLK for this very reason. To run suppressed and get more shots off in one opportunity, with hogs or with deer.
When I first built my 6.8 SPC II a friend loaded me some subsonic rounds. I dropped a 7 point in the corn, and was surprised to see the does still standing there…another shot, another deer down. I could have taken the second doe if I wanted to…it was very eerie, and that gun wasn’t even quiet. I can’t imagine what a 220 grain sub out of the 300 will be like, you’ll probably be able to hear the bullet expanding inside the deer.
Great story he’s a stud for sure! Your camera took really good pics. Is it a browning {see in bottom left on one pic)what model. I have couple of primos black-outs that I am not happy with the battery life and they both make a slight “click” when taking pics. Stopped using them due to it. I got a new browning camera for birthday (april) it is 100% silent and the battery life is amazing. Any thoughts???
Kencraft 23T
twin 175f Suzuki’s
Yes, sir. I run Browning Strike Force HD 850’s. I’m very pleased with the picture quality and video quality. I also like the fact you don’t get too much glare (white out) on night pictures. The battery life is unbelievable. I run cameras from July to March and never have to change batteries. Truth be told, I wouldn’t have to change them before putting them out for the season but I do just as a preventative measures move. All of that and the fact they are incredibly easy to use makes them the best camera for my money.
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
Nice and a great story to go with it .Did he hit him with the first shot and was he using a bolt action?
Yep. double-lunged him with the first shot (discovered upon recovery). Yes, it was a bolt action. I believe he was using a suppressed Ruger American.
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
I picked up a Ruger American Ranch in 300BLK for this very reason. To run suppressed and get more shots off in one opportunity, with hogs or with deer.
When I first built my 6.8 SPC II a friend loaded me some subsonic rounds. I dropped a 7 point in the corn, and was surprised to see the does still standing there…another shot, another deer down. I could have taken the second doe if I wanted to…it was very eerie, and that gun wasn’t even quiet. I can’t imagine what a 220 grain sub out of the 300 will be like, you’ll probably be able to hear the bullet expanding inside the deer.
Nice story, cool deer too!
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
My hunting AR is chambered in 6.8 SPC and it’s suppressed. I’m running standard velocity (2700fps) 110gr Nosler Accubond SSA ammo. It literally sounds like a .22 Mag but with less ring. It’s plenty quiet to get off multiple shots before the deer become the wiser.